Compact Wildlife Photography Kit | Nikon Z7 + 500mm PF vs. Olympus E-M1x + 300mm f/4

[@whafrog]

I bought into the Olympus system when the Em1-mark3 came out. Since I'm a jack-of-all-trades type, I like to have a full landscape, macro, and wildlife kit with me at all times, and I can do that with the Oly and still be out all day. I ain't never going back.

[@GeoffCooper]

Yeah, I can totally see how the size and weight of the kit makes it very appealing - you can carry a lot of different m43 lenses before you get to the weight of some of the big FF glass!

[@patraulea84]

And everyone talks about the image that other cameras are better, olympus isnt good enough etc etc, but olympus it s just there , pretty close, i prefeer olympus because it s good and also much ceap , less heavy and do almost same job, i dont want to spend 5000-8000 euros just for some very small diference, i work hard for that money.

[@veronikagundersen9334]

@BileMonkey Noise reduction software from DxO or maybe Topaz Denoise makes that almost a non-issue these days. I happily shoot mine up to ISO 6400 with no problems. If you need to shoot in the dark at ISO 25600 or something like that, buy full frame.

[@HokKan]

@BileMonkey dude the weather sealing is godtier.

[@michaeltigue2952]

@BileMonkey perfect example of how folks really dont understand the performance of OLY cameras. The Nikon D500 has virtually the same noise and DR performance. Its doesnt produce better images at all and it doesnt have half of the functionality while still being a significantly larger system.

[@rossthefiddler5890]

The option to use MF (override) is to change a setting in the Menu A1 AF+MF to ON, (NB, A = AF options :) ) so that all focus modes have MF override, such as S-AF+MF where half pressing the button for AF the MF ring can be turned to adjust focus instead of going fully MF with the clutch system. BTW, that clutch operation can actually be turned OFF in the Menu too so it won't operate MF (Menu A4 MF Clutch - Inoperative) if inadvertently having moved that ring, so the two options can be useful (S-AF+MF & MF Clutch Inoperative). With ISO, Auto ISO only goes up to 6400 but manual ISO goes up to 25600. You would have found the E-M1 Mk III to be more suitable for size where it essentially does everything the E-M1X can do except for AI AF (which you probably wouldn't have used for your testing). It can also take the HLD-7 battery grip if & when desired (it doesn't have a joystick though as it was designed originally to go with the E-M1 Mk II). BTW, the Olympus Menu system is complex because it can do so much, but there is a system to it & having used their cameras for about 11 years I am used it it. E.g. A1 to A4 covers AF options, B =button functions, etc. As far as noise goes, yes there are differences, but also how the files are handled from each manufacturer too though (into a raw output). Isn't Nikon also using Sony sensors (as Olympus is)?

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks for the info - I've pretty much got all the things I missed now... More time to really get used to the camera would definietly have helped, as would choosing the correct Olympus kit ot compare (ie E-M1 III, not E-M1x). With the manual focus override I now see from this comment and others that I did just miss a setting - I think because it had the MF clutch I simply didn't imagine there would be such a setting and didn't go looking for it... I was confused about the higher ISO values at first, but now realise that I have again projected my usage style on the system incorrectly... In my system, the max ISO is accessible by defualt in Auto ISO mode, while on the Olympus the maximum in that mode is 6400. Seeing that, I assumed wrongly that that was where it stopped. That is definitely something that I should have looked into more because it surprised me at the time, however, having two weeks to test the kit in an already busy time, I didn't get to it. The file handling is interesting too - I think I just assumed that Adobe Lightroom should be good for anything older than ~6 months, but perhaps there's more to it than that.. In terms of who makes the sensor, yeah, I think they're all from Sony.

[@rossthefiddler5890]

@@GeoffCooper Thanks. Glad I could pass on something. I understand two weeks is not long to discover a different system completely.

[@fuglbird]

@@GeoffCooper Which makes reviews like this useless. Fanboys butchering other brands due to lack of reading skills. Many of us read the manuals before buying cameras or lenses. KZbin reviewers apperently don't.

[@GeoffCooper]

@@fuglbird Hah, a fanboy - if you really think this video showed bias to one system over the other, the internet must be a really annoying place for you :) Also, go watch Tony and Chelsea's video about reading the manual vs new tech being intuitive - it's pretty interesting... Anyway, I guess my complaint about the AF override should actually have been more that in the default state, moving to the clutch position between AF and MF actually changes the focus position, making it useless as an override.. There is a whole separate system for AF recall after all.

[@fuglbird]

@@GeoffCooper Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it. I love the internet :) A lot of information can be found here; but you have to work hard to find it :) I think the bias in your review was more due to ignorance and laziness than to purpose; but the conclusion was clearly colored by your expectations. All new tech is intuitive - if you are moving up from the same brand. Otherwise it is hard work. Understanding different developers and writers is not easy. Reading the manual sometimes makes it a bit easier.

[@RobShootPhotos]

For noise reduction, I turn off noise filter and noise reduction in camera and depend fully on Lightroom and Topaz for my Olympus cameras. I seem to get sharper images than the in-body based noise reduction and filter.

[@PiotrSwietoslawski]

Geoff, it is one of the best if not the best comparison of two systems that I've seen. What makes it great is the honesty and unbiased approach you take as well as going in depth into particular topics like AF focusing, tracking, ISO. Keep up great work. Both Nikon and Olympus are fantastic systems. I've used both. It's great to see how the photographic companies are pushing the boundaries of what's possible with the mirrorless systems and sensor technology. You are absolutely right its unbelievable how good high ISO images come out of those sensor that even few years ago was unheard of. As a photographers we are now spoiled as we live in amazing times where there are pretty much no bad cameras any more and most of the systems have matured and can produce breathtaking results.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much Piotr - glad you enjoyed it :) It was really interesting to do the comparison and see what the flagship from an unfamiliar brand was like!

[@jasonpalmer2497]

well ive just switch from ff sony a7riv 200-600 and ive gone back to mft and love it

[@hariseyecreations1214]

Hi you thonk the sharpnesd and images are better with olympus ond m1x and 300 mm f4 lens compared to sony?

[@EspenHelland]

Blown away by the amount of work you put into this review, really thorough and well done 🙌 Very interesting comparison with your setup as well. And thanks for the shoutout 🙂

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much Espen, it was really interesting to make the comparison having watched all the videos about the kit, yours included :) It's certainly an impressive setup and I can really understand why so many folks have been moving that way recently!

[@GnarlsGnarlington]

I'm a long time Olympus user (since 1982) and used to have a Nikon D7200 as well. Both are great companies and offer great systems. I appreciate you honest and fair review. I sold everything I owned three years ago but recently purchased another Oly system (E-M1 Mark III). The reason I bought it over a Nikon is that bodies are equal in dimention but the lenses are 1/2 the price of a full-size frame. Also, the weight is usually less than a full frame. Cheers!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Gnarls, hope you're getting some great images with the E-M1 III! I recently went the otehr way and have some much heavier kit, but I'm very happy with the images I'm getting :D

[@gary8402tw]

This is one of the best comparison between full frame camera and m43 for me. Thank you sir, really enjoyed the video!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much - it's not what I normally do and I tried quite hard to get it right, so I'm really glad you liked it!

[@wparo]

Thank you. Just for your information 7:36 it will be equivalent to f8 not f4.

[@GeoffCooper]

Absolutely - however, this lens at 'f/4' and a full frame at f/4 will give the same exposure readings for a given shutter and ISO setting (not that ISO is perfectly matched between systems).. I tried to explain it but I think at 35:05 I maybe did a better job of that!

[@tobiasascherl]

Hello Geoff, this is a very informative comparison and a great review. That was really hard work to complete. A lot people do not dare to compare full frame with Mft, but why not? You showed the advantages and disadvantages of both systems clearly. If I could, I would like to give two thumbs up! 👍👍 Greetings from Germany.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it! It has certainly been the most commented video I ever made becuase it's an area where lots of people have a strong opinion... :)

[@photogol]

There is manual focus override on the Olympus and you can disable the manual focus clutch as well on the menus.

[@GeoffCooper]

Yeah, with the manual focus override I now see that I did just miss that setting in the menus - to be honest I think because it had the MF clutch, I simply didn't imagine there would be such a setting and didn't go looking for it...

[@photogol]

Geoff Cooper You can configure many things in the Olympus, so many that it gets confusing for many users :-)

[@JoeMaranophotography]

Seems anyone that picks up the Olympus gear loves it and makes the switch. Crazy considering the hate it gets from the FF die hards! I was also shocked at the ISO test results as the Olympus is using a substantially smaller sensor and the results would be fairly imperceptible at normal print sizes. Quite a shock there if I am honest! Personally I prefer Panasonic though as that kit to me is cheaper, more versatile and better for video :) Ultimately gear doesn't matter. If you can't get the shot with a modern camera the problem lies with the person behind the camera and the lack of creativity to make the shot work.

[@GeoffCooper]

Well, not me, it was interesting enough but I'm not switching any time soon! I can see why folks are so keen on the kit though, but yeah, I agree if I was going that way the Panasonic bodies have a lot going for them and the lenses are all interchangable. With the sensor tests, I was pretty impressed too - thought it would fall down sooner - so it's only when you really push it that you'll find a difference. Having said that, I photographed a roe deer family last night at dusk and I simply could not have got the shot I did with the Olympus kit I tested...

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@GeoffCooper I admit low light can be an issue but generally speaking I just adjust the way I shoot. I tend to get closer to the subject and shoot handheld at silly slow shutter speeds. It only needs one shot to be sharp and the job is done :) Very fast birds at F6.3 apertures even during the day can be an issue though that I will admit 😉 On that note I have pretty much maintained that low light is shite light and generally I think that's pretty much truth. If photography is part mastery of light to deny that means flawed images for the most part. In an ideal world though I would have both systems but I am non professional and will likely never be. So to drop down thousands of pounds I don't have would be insanity defined 😂

[@GeoffCooper]

That's true if you can go to lower shutter speeds (ie the subject is still), and then the Olympus did have amazing image stabilisation. Then it comes down to what you are trying to achieve I guess, and for me, even the low light (probably shite light) image of the deer or beaver can tell a nice story, so it's still something I want to do... Probably in the lighting conditions where you're able to get a technically good photograph, the systems (indeed all systems at that kind of money) are going to do just fine!

[@imagenatura]

Liked your analysis. You really didn't focus too much on price, which would be a much greater factor for me. I'd skip the E-M1X and just get the E-m1 II (perhaps used for 700 Euros). The final bill should be around around 3000 Euros and with most of the amazing features that you mentioned. Also, I feel MFT has a much more complete package in terms of other lenses to choose from (with over 95 native lenses from Olympus, Panasonic, Sigma, and others). Nikon just has such a long road before they're anywhere near that. Just some thoughts.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks John - that's true, and to be honest I nearly didn't even include it in the specs table either. The total price for the system does make a difference, but I think what I wanted to do with this was fill the obvious gap in the other reviews I'd seen where pwople compared the m43 kit with their full frame pro DSLR bodies and big prime lenses (which are a big step more expensive again)

[@hnahler]

Having the E-M1 II and having tried the E-M1X, the former loses out when it comes to focus-tracking. That second Tru-Pic VIII processor in the E-M1X really makes a difference. I would be curious to see that with the E-M1 III and the Tru-Pic IX. It's only a few hundred pounds cheaper than the E-M1X but a lot smaller and lighter.

[@johnniewelbornjr.8940]

I realize this has been a while back but thanks for sharing your thoughts on the two systems. I bought the E-M1X a couple of months ago after the prices finally dropped and have been highly pleased. Yes, there are disadvantages but the capabilities of post-processing software now really make the noise issues a mute point in a lot of circumstances. One simply needs to know the limitations, which I considered for a long time before continuing with Olympus. The unbiased approach was quite a nice change... Thanks even so long after sharing these results!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much - glad you liked it! I really never expected this to have become my most popular video by a massive margin! I was very impressed with the m43 system and agree that the differencees start to get pretty marginal as noise reduction improves..

[@Chris-Brown-]

You can setup the Olympus to AF and then Manual focus. Even using the same method you describe, back button auto focus and then manual focus ring That Olympus camera auto-iso max is 6400 you can manually set iso to 25,600

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks for the info (of course you are not the first to comment this) - I think what it boils down to is that the way these functions are implemented is sufficiently different to Nikon that I didn’t intuitively spot how to do them.. Also, given the mechanical clutch, I hadn’t considered that there would also be a manual option for the auto position.

[@Chris-Brown-]

@@GeoffCooper Like you mentioned the menu system isn't that intuitive, features get missed and that's from someone that only uses Olympus

[@michaelgabes7574]

End of the year hopefully we will see the 150-400 pro lens from olympus. even when the future of Olympus is more than uncertain I will go for a brand new E1 MIII and that lens and I'm equipped for the next 5 years. Since I have allready some f1.2 pro primes also, I'm happiest Olympus shooter ever. A pitty that Olympus never realy broad up the stunning featurers, which (in my mind) are far superior compared to most other brands. Yes sounds all a bit sentimental, but since I buyed in in this system, I'm so excited about fotography again. Your comparison is one of the best online, by the way! Thanks!! Michael

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much Michael - glad you liked the comparison :) Also great to hear you've been inspired by your Olympus kit to get out making images - in the end, that is far more important that the kit you use and the amount of noise in images etc! A 150-400mm lens for that system with a decent maximum aperture (say f/5.6) would be fantastic - like a 800mm f/5.6 supertele on full frame! That would be a game changer for a lot of wildlife photographers and with that kind of extra reach along with the high FPS and Pro Capture, who would care about a bit more noise!!

[@josecarloscaetano8480]

​@@GeoffCooper The new to come olympus 150-400mm lens is a F/4.5 and as an built-in 1.25x teleconverter and image stabilisation which works together with IBIS to give a superb image stabilisation. Thanks for this Great video.

[@ericadams6608]

Just Brilliant Geof. Thanks for sharing that. O M System - OM1 camera just out and with the 300 f4 could be right for me and this video certainly has made me think!! I went on an Olympus led day at the Yorkshire Zoo a few years ago and borrowed the 300 to use with my OMD E 1 ii. Fantastic results but new then out of my price range, however now used ......... maybe. Thanks again I'm subscribed!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Eric and welcome to the channel :) I was really impressed by the Olympus kit when I borrowed it, and it can still do some things that the top-of-the-line Nikon can’t!

[@Jay19876]

The Olympus has manual focus override over the CAF, it is called CAF+M in the menus. You do not engage the manual focus clutch for this to work. The advantage to the manual focus clutch is that you can pre-focus on something, switch back to normal CAF+M for regular use but have that other focus point available by pulling the clutch back. Also, if you do not like the focus clutch feature, you can disengage it so it doesn't take you out of CAF. But I agree with you, the Olympus menus are confusing when learning them, since they are so in-depth and the EM1 cameras are extremely customizable.

[@GeoffCooper]

Yeah, with the manual focus override I now see that I did just miss that setting in the menus - to be honest I think because it had the MF clutch, I simply didn't imagine there would be such a setting and didn't go looking for it...

[@RJPhotographics]

Oooft, going straight into the Oly system in under 2 weeks after 15 years of Nikon. Brave man! I knew you'd run into trouble, but think you did great. It took me longer to master the Oly menu coming from Nikon, and I am an interface designer for a living! The kinder lads on the forums could have helped you out a bit. Anyway, thanks for covering this. I've been curious what I've been missing on the newer mirrorless high-end Nikons, I feel I know now. Anyway, going to subscribe, I'm Scottish, living in England, and am missing the glorious wildlife photography up there, though to be fair it's pretty good down here too.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks, and welcome to the channel :) Yeah, it was a bit ambitious to do with the time constraints, but I really wanted to see how it measured up to my kit.. I obviously did miss some stuff but I think the overall result wouldn't have been much different..

[@philmtx3fr]

Very complete video (even if a little long but the quality of it makes me stay until the end :)) with a lot of details and some infos I really didn’t know : for instance the impact of the high resolution for the noise reduction tools. Keep on doing such high quality videos.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks - glad you found it interesting :)

[@sepponevalainen4309]

Hello, you really seemed to miss the manual override in OLy. It works just by turning the ring..and besides you can can get focus peaking (+ magnifying) if needed

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks for commenting. Yeah, I did - as you'll have seen in the other comments, I found the clutch mechanism and didn't consider there would be more than one type of override, which in retrospect was a bit stupid. I guess with more time to test it I would have found it!

[@frankanderson5012]

Interesting review. People tend to be very fanatical when it comes to this kind of comparison either being very pro or anti one or the other. I would suggest Nikons next generation of mirrorless cameras will be vastly better, just like Canons latest ones appear to be. I've thought about making the swap myself but that image quality I can get with my 500 f4 lens, just can't be replicated, plus I too shoot mostly in low light so noise control is important. I also shoot landscapes and full frame still wins there too. Having said all that, if money wasn't an issue, I would also have that Olympus set up. It would be great for traveling around and being ready for the shot. Plus, as an ex Olympus film shooter, I think their cameras just look so stylish.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks - yes, people tend to always be biased, and I'm sure I am no exception. I hope I was able to give my opinions fairly and not let my personal bias out too much ;) Also, I totally agree - if you can have two systems then having both and using them where appropriate would give the best of both worlds.

[@hanzkilian1806]

Thanks for this review. I was interested as I am about to buy a Olympus 1X. What I thought re this comparison, was that while there was a difference in the noise and I might add, I do not think the difference was that bigger difference, I think the advantage of the OM 1X was that with the superior IBIS, you can reduce your iso more than you can with the NIKONS and thus get an equally good image. It is the IBIS that really sets these two cameras apart. Thanks for the comparison. cheers from Australia

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks for your comment. I agree the IBIS of the Olympus system has a superior and yes, in the case of a static subject where the source of movement if the photographer, then that gives it the advantage. However, many subjects are not so static and then I’d want every advantage the sensor can give… Perhaps more to the point though, the AF system of the Olympus was far superior to the Z7, and so the chances of getting an image of that non-static subject would be higher…

[@originaljamtracks]

A superbly done comparison, very impressed and thank you for all the effort!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thank you very much. glad you liked it!

[@terrywbreedlove]

I can hand hold my Olympus EM1.2 with the 300mm F4 at 20th of a second and get sharp photos. Just incredible really the only thing I worry about shutter speed wise is to make sure I get the animals movements stopped for a sharp shot. Lately I have been shooting video with the two and again the stabilizing is incredible. I have a couple videos on my channel doing this. One a Bull elk and the other a couple ducks both hand held under a dark rainforest canopy.

[@GeoffCooper]

The IS is certainly pretty impressive - certainly felt better than the stabilisation of my Nikon. I didn't push it that far in the video simply because at a certain point I'd tested enough to know it was better!

[@terrylovejoy3147]

A very well done comparison Geoff. Just want to add the 300 f4 Olympus will easily be able to make use of 40-50 Mpixel M43 cameras in the future.

[@Jawsjawsjawsrg]

Let me explain the manual ring, you do not have to snap it in order to manually focus it. That snap is kind of like a switch that turns off the auto focus. But you do have to mess with the setting a bit to get a mode called S-af + Mf mode, witch will allow you to hit the auto focus then if you want you can manually focus it, with out snapping that ring.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks - appreciate your taking the time to explain it, though as I’m sure you’ll have seen from the other comments, it’s been well covered. Unfortunately KZbin provides no useful means of placing a pop-up message after upload to correct the video…

[@Gibolingos]

very valuable video - especially for all those who think that only FF can take pictures.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Michau, glad you found it useful :)

[@jean-claudecajolet7618]

One of the best comparaison on KZbin and on the Web. Very interesting, very well made. It helps me a lot to select a new bird kit. Thanks and continue your nice work.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much :) Glad it was helpful!

[@HeroShotz]

That's gotta be the most friendly delivery service ever 😂. The knock on the door is usually the box hitting it when they toss it and run 😂.

[@GeoffCooper]

Yeah, the couriers are actually really friendly, but this one was particularly awesome... because actually it was me on both sides of the door :p

[@TITAOSTEIN]

Excellent comparison. I use Nikon and Olympus equipment. The important thing is to understand that they are different animals. And the right equipment for the right time and the right place. Naturally, someone photographing in Norway will have different needs than someone photographing in Africa, because the intensity of the light is different. The question of size and weight is also relevant. On an adventure through forests and mountains, with very long hikes or climbing, I choose Olympus. When the hikes aren't that long, then I choose Nikon. The question of the size of the sensor, in my opinion, is not so relevant. In fact, judging by the size, I find the m43's performance absolutely amazing. But it is clear that the m43 system has reached a level where updates are needed. For besides the question of size, pure and simple, for me the important thing is in technology. It is more than time to see new sensors, more advanced, and with new technologies, such as BSI, for example. Let's see if there will be interest from Panasonic and Olympus / JIP in continuing to develop the system. I particularly hope so, because although I use different systems, I find the m43 the most fun to use. Congratulations for the beautiful work. PS: You should try the Olympus 300 with the em1-iii, and the Nikon Z6 with a 600 f4.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks! I totally agree - if you can have two systems then having both and using them where appropriate gives the best of both world. In this case I just thought this comparison was interesting, having seen so many folks comparing the m43 kit with big full frame stuff.. PS: I'd be more than happy to try out the Z6 with a 600mm f/4 if anybody would like to lend be one :D

[@haltonarp8566]

Thanks for an informative video.

[@faunagraphy]

This is the most thorough comparison of the best that Nikon and Olympus systems have to offer. Other reviews do not even come close! This has been an interesting spring and summer for me. I started out with a Canon FD 300mm f2.8 lens and Olympus E-M1 Mark 1, which I've had for years. I wanted to photograph swallows in flight and got the D500 and Nikon 200-500 to complement my m43 gear (autofocus + zoom). It was turning out to be too heavy, so I tried a Panasonic 100-400 and E-M1 Mark ii. The Panasonic lens was lagging in image quality at the long end but the autofocus capabilities of the E-M1 Mark ii were a revelation. In low light, it handily outperformed the D500 by being able to shoot as low as 1/5 sec at 800mm equivalent. So I purchased an Olympus 300mm f4 Pro and have been addicted to it ever since. I've also purchased a Panasonic 50-200 since it only weighs 650 gm and has incredible sharpness. I'm now selling off my D500 since I've upgraded to some of the best gear that m43 has to offer. If birds in flight were all I shot, the D500 and 200-500 would be all I'd need. But with the Olympus kit, I can do so much more, thanks to EVF, extreme stabilization, pro-capture, in-camera focus stacking, live bulb, silent shutter and more. Still can't bear to part with my 200-500, in the remote possibility that I return to Nikon again. :)

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much :) It's great to get comments like this because this kind of review is unusual for me and I didn't really know how much to do.. Sounds like you've had some big kit changes over the year! Interesting that the Panasonic 100-400 wasn't up to the mark, though I've hear that in the m43 world the Olympus Pro lenses are the top of the line. Maybe the next generation of Nikon Z cameras will tempt you back behind your 200-500mm (which I know from experience is a cracking lens)!

[@faunagraphy]

@@GeoffCooper The Panasonic 100-400 is soft beyond 350mm and of course, there's copy variation, just like the Nikon 200-500. I happen to have a very good copy of the 200-500 and had a bad one of the 100-400. But no regrets, because what I learned from shooting it led me to the exceptional Olympus 300mm, which is the only lens I'd happily shoot with a 2x teleconverter. If only the 200-500 were 2 lb lighter, I'd have no complaints. :)

[@bjnslc]

From an operational standpoint, I think you'd find Panasonic's menus and control structure fairly similar to Nikon's. I love my G9's handling and custom button functions, and find it a joy to use compared to my Z6. My 100-400 Pana-Leica zoom gives me 800mm equivalent reach in an incredibly compact package, and it's one reason I still have two systems.

[@bjnslc]

Oh, and I'll take a fully-articulating LCD any day.

[@GeoffCooper]

Cool - I’ve heard good reviews of the G9, though I’ve never had a look at one.. Yeah, the articulating screen is a bonus for sure - I have to use a ‘periscope’ mirror in the hotshoe for framing when vlogging with the Z6 and it’s hardly ideal!

[@photobillyexplores]

Wow what a review, it's very nice to see a clearly dedicated Nikon.. Or any other system give olympus a fair review, and agreed with pretty much every thing you said, Em1 3 would have keep the size comparable with the Nikon but Hay, great review never the less 🙏

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks, I really appreciate that - I tried hard to make it as fair as possible, despite the bias of knowing my kit far better than the Olympus.. Yeah, better knowledge of the m43 system at the outset of this would indeed have led me to a smaller body.

[@johnpouw3352]

A bit late coming to the party here but the shifting of focus when engaging the clutch can actually be useful too. Imagine two branches in the frame, using autofocus to focus on one, manual focus on the other. Bird lands on either branch, engage the clutch and the focus shifts from one to the other. Certainly not something you would or could use all the time, but a nice little side benefit. :)

[@GeoffCooper]

I guess that's true - like a mechanical version of AF-recall

[@sunnyrockvictor373]

I’m thinking of changing kit from Nikon to Olympus this was so helpful many thanks

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks - glad you found it useful!

[@Black.D.Reaper]

I think thats a very fair review. A really professional made test. The newer OMD-EM1 MIII and the newest Om1 should be a good power up to this OMD EM1X.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Adrian - I have heard good things about the new Olympus camera and I'm happy to see their camera division still going under the new ownership

[@Black.D.Reaper]

@@GeoffCooper Oh yeah, i think you would like the newer systems, especially the OM1. It's a very well done speed upgrade for this System (up to 120 fps with S-AF. The ISO Range was upgradet up to over 100 000 to, including the image quality (in the Em1 MIII its max .25 000)...The Viewfinder (i hope its correct) was upgradet to 5 MP to. In darker situations it may still not be the number 1 choice but now its a lot better to compare than before. The AF shoul be more precise because of the added af points to. Disclaimer: Sry english is not my native language but i've tried to write understandebale sentences. I own an Em1 MIII. Greetings from Austria.

[@GeoffCooper]

@@Black.D.Reaper greetings from Scotland! It sounds like they are really good then! Since moving to digital I have always been a Nikon shooter and am very happy with a new Z9, but have to admit that the OM system is one of the few that I've seriously thought about switching to! PS. with the latest firmware, the Z9 now even has something like the pro-capture feature :)

[@Nation1A1List]

It would appear you missed something regarding the maximum ISO settings on the E-M1X as my E-M1 MkII will go up to ISO 25600.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Bob, yes I have since discovered that: I realise that I projected my usage style on the system, perhaps incorrectly, and was confused by its not acting the same as mine... On my Nikon system by default, the maximum ISO is accessible in Auto ISO mode, while on the Olympus the maximum in that mode is ISO6400. Seeing that limit in my tests, where I used manual with Auto ISO to reach the desired settings, I assumed wrongly that that was where it topped out. That is definitely something that I should have looked into more because it surprised me at the time. However, I still think my findings would have been similar, with the higher resolution Z7 images having a little more to give in noise reduction...

[@GeoffCooper]

@@markr3926 Thanks for your comment - I should note that a fair number of people who are Olympus users have told me that this is a fair review. With your idea of pop-ups in the video, I'd love to be able to do that, but KZbin has removed the ability to do this with their online editor over a year ago, so basically it can't be done. As for discourtesy to the company, my contact at Olympus did watch the video and replied to me "Nice one Geoff - thorough and fair", so I was reasonably happy that they did not disapprove.

[@kmcsmart]

Fabulous review. I am just considering an Olympus system and your review helped confirm my decision. Now I will check out your other videos. As others said this is one of the best Olympus reviews out there. So nice to hear from a real photographer with mud on their boots.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much Karen - glad you found it useful! Hope you get some great images with your Olympus kit when you get it :)

[@antonoat]

Tremendous information, thank you Geoff for sharing this!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks, glad it was helpful!

[@earlteigrob9211]

Great Review. I shoot the Olympus em1-2 and have always assumed that the noise was way worse then full frame even though have have been super happy with my images. Based on your test pictures, the results are much closer then I would have expected. Yes, the Nikon is has less noise, but not near as much as I would have expected. Hummm...I might just stay with Olympus after all... Thanks again for your great review.

[@crazyasianskills]

If you haven't switched, make sure to check out DxO PureRaw, it's a game changer for noise in M43.

[@RyougiVector]

I honestly couldn't tell much of a difference throughout all of the comparisons for ISO. I wonder if the Z6 would look cleaner at higher ISO

[@sunnyrockvictor373]

Would like a comparison with the OM1

[@flemmingsrensen1889]

This is a great review, very fair, honest and to the point. I myself use the Olympus EM1X and the 300 mm F:4, and even though I am not a big guy. I find the size just right when using relatively long and heavy lenses, much better ergonomics than my otherwise excellent EM1 mk2. I agree with most of what you say, but I would like to add: Nikon Z7: I haven't tried this camera, but based on my observations when shooting alongside friends with Canon and Sony FF I would expect a 1½ - 2 stop advantage shooting above ISO 2500 compared to the Olympus EM1 cmaeras. Also I will expect auto-focus to be much better with a Z-mount lense compared to the adapted lens used. EM1X: This camera has the best ergonomics of all the cameras I have owned or used, it comes close to the Canon 1DX mk2 only much lighter and handier to use. The IQ is surprisingly good up to ISO 3200 and actually usefull up tu ISO 6400 provided one nails the exposure and avoids even the slightest under exposure. But FF has the edge - No doubt about that.I am actually surprised how well the EM1X held up in your comparison up to ISO 4000. At ISO 6400 I guess Topaz Denoise could yield even better results with some twaking? In real life I have noticed that I often shoot at 1-2 stop lower ISO values than my friends using FF camera, obviously not in fast action scenes such as Birds In Flight. This tends to level out IQ disavantages. Build quality and weather sealing: top notch - I have often shot in rainy conditions where my friends didn't dare use their gear. EVF and LCD: he EVF is low resolution compared to many new models, but is actually pleasant to usel, I would like a 3.76 Million Dots though and the LCD is of too low resolution.2 Mega dots OLED would be a very nice upgrade. Sensor: The resolution is somewhat low but suits my needs very well. seems the 20-24 MP is the standard for sports oriented camera these days (For instance Canon R6 and 1Dx mk3). Did you tgry to play with hand held and tripod High resolution modes? they are great for scenes with no or vey slight motion. But thanks again for a very good and informative video -- I would love to go birding in Scotland (plus I love Speyside whiskies)

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much Flemming :) I totally agree a native Z-mount lens would have worked better, but sadly there isn't an equivalent lens released yet... Re. ergonomics, I actually really love the feel and layout of the Nikon Z series. Having said that, I found the E-M1x very usable straight off, and with it being totally unfamiliar, it must be well layed out! I was also very very impressed by the Olympus kit. I did not try the high-res modes, but have regretted not doing so and they look pretty awesome! Hope you get over here for some birding (and a dram or two) some day once this pandemic business is all over :)

[@weizenobstmusli8232]

I think, where MFT really has a good standing, is if you look in the 1000-2500€ category, like G9 or GX9 and 100-400 Leica. That combo is super small, and maybe good enough for many amateurs. Other alternatives (1000€ category): 100-300 Oly or Pana. Can't get more reach and IQ for 400€ per lens.

[@GeoffCooper]

Yeah, I agree - for something in that price range you're going to be struggling to gte that 35mm equivalent of 600mm any other way.. Also for a compact travel kit, it's really hard to beat!

[@gtilford60]

This is how all comparisons should be done, you were unbiased and honest with all comparisons and because of this video I have subscribed to your channel. I am sure there will be a lot of information that I find helpful in deciding which direction I should head with system wise in the coming months. The only issue I have with the comparison is that you compared a 45 mega pixel camera to a 20 megapixel camera so there is bound to be a lot of issues comparing photos with the amount of definition that each one could render. I would have sooner seen a comparison of the Nikon z6 instead of the z7 to the Olympus. Also not that the Olympus 0md em1 iii is out things may just be a bit more interesting between the two systems. Thanks for this content as a Nikon shooter it is always great to see these types of videos.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Greg :) Glad you liked the review - I tried very hard to be unbiased and just tell it like I found it, so this is a great comment to read! I appreciate the Z6 would have made a better comparison, and the E-M1iii also... However, the starting point of this project was that I wanted to test my own 'everyday' wildlife kit, the Z7 and 500mm PF, against the 'Olympus kit that everyone else seemed to be reviewing'...

[@Carlos1180]

Nice to see an unbiased review. Olympus bashing seems to be the national sport of many photographers. Your points were all valid and actually has encouraged me to stick with Olympus. Did you know about the hand held and tripod mount hi-res modes? You can get more resolution than the Z7 but only of use for non-moving subjects. Personally I’d steer clear of the e-m1x. I think it was more a showcase model to show what they could do. The e-m1 mkiii is better balanced for the lenses and has most of the features of the x. I travel a lot and can fit 2 bodies and 5 lenses easily in my carry on and still be under 10kg. Recently I’ve stopped taking the primes though as the 12-40 and 40-150mm f/2.8 are every bit as sharp

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks David :) I do now know about the hi-res modes, though as you say they're probably of limited use for moving subjects (as wildlife often is).. I also now agree that the E-M1x wasn't the best choice - I simply asked Olympus for 'what the other testers had used' rather than the perhaps better question of 'what do you think I should compare against this'... The Olympus kit was certainly very impressive and I think if I was switching that effective 80-300mm f/2.8 would be very tempting indeed!!

[@truthseeker3536]

With many gear reviewers it is about who is greasing their palms. An infamous 'reviewer' claimed many years ago that he wont review MFT systems as it is a 'junk format' and its sensor is 'too small'. But one day he praised a bridge camera (which has a smaller sensor than MFT). This particular bridge camera is from the same brand as the FF cameras and lenses he loves to praise! Then there is another guy who used to praise panasonic MFT cameras, claiming he left FF because it was too heavy for his work in the field. Then one day he suddenly switched to back to FF again, and is now raving about FF! Someone accused him of changing direction with the wind (money) and he admitted it! Claimed panasonic stopped sponsoring him.

[@Carlos1180]

@@truthseeker3536 there's no doubt that MFT has it's limitations. It doesn't perform as well as FF in low light. This is less of an issue now with the development of Topaz Denoise AI. It's like witchcraft lol. I recently supersized a photo from a customer. It was a phone shot of an old, damaged photo sent to me through Facebook messenger. I repaired the pic in PS and ran it through Denoise. The difference was unreal. Removed the noise and sharpened the image. You could print it poster size now. Happy customer. With the combination of great glass from Olympus and computational photography, I'm less and less tempted by FF

[@thetruth9116]

@@Carlos1180 Is the noise from Olympus like film grain? I have seen that from Fuji's X cameras. If so I don't mind that kind of noise.

[@Carlos1180]

@@thetruth9116 yes it would be like film grain. tbh it’s not bad at all until you hit 3200 and above. Probably doesn’t help that I’m editing full screen on a 34” ultra wide monitor and I’m guilty of being overly fussy about removing it. Considering 99% of people see it on a phone screen. But when the tech is there to remove it so well I tend to use it

[@tomlew55]

Good accurate review. I own both an E-M1 mark II and a Z7 and each has their place. I feel my Z7 with native lenses is far superior to the Olympus for my usage but if I need a longer reach i find myself leaning toward the lighter lenses of the Olympus. The Olympus menu system drives me nuts compared to the Nikon, it was hard to get used to. At the end of the day when I'm concerned about image quality I'll pick up the Z7 every time.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much :) I have to say I was very impressed with the Olympus kit I borrowed, but when I had both of them out with me I always wanted to use the Z7 whenever I spotted something interesting becuase I knew I could get a shot..

[@garyem113]

Good job Goeff! Being an EM1Mk2 user I can say what you have accomplished in two weeks of learning and use of the Olympus is probably award winning but was always likely to show up inaccuracies. Your AF/Manual override and ISO issues are customisable functions via that dreadful core menu system and it's accompanying descriptions.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Gary :) Yeah, I've since found out there was a setting for those - I think with the AF override I didn't go looking because I made an assumption about what the clutch does.. Certainly an impressive bit of kit and it was good to have the opportunity to test it!

[@markusbolliger1527]

Very interesting and of practical relevance. As a Nikon shooter I also ask myself if I should go to mFT just for wildlife photography with long lenses. There are pros and cons as always. Noise is not e huge problem - because most images are printed in a rather small format, they seldom must be enlarged bigger than A3. So you will see no noise at all with mFT - even at 1600 ISO. But my concerns about mFT/Olympus are these: 1 Limited cropping possibilities, 2 too much depth of field in some situations, 3 Manual focus overriding complicated. On the other hand the pro-capture function would be very helpful in many cases. And you can shoot with F4.0 all the time - what minimizes the drawback of the small sensor compared to full frame. But the main reason I most probably I will not go for the Zuiko 300mm is the necessity to handle two different systems/bodies alternately - which increases the risk of operation errors. So I will upgrade my Z6 to an ZII or a forthcoming Z7III, Z6III or Z8, who knows.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Markus, glad you found it interesting :) I completely agree the move would need to be 'all-or-nothing' rather than trying to run two systems. I know some people do that, but I would find it very irritating! If I had done this test without owning either system, it would have made for a hard choice, but given my Nikon kit did pretty well against it, I was happy to keep it. Now, with that same lens on a Z9 I have almost the same performance, though of course that's now quite a heavy body... It even has a version of the pro-capture feature now too!

[@davidblack2632]

Good comparison video. I use Olympus for my wildlife photography. One thing you missed is that you can set +MF so that S-AF and C-AF setting becomes S-AF+MF and C-AF+MF. This allows manual fine tuning after AF. The Manual Clutch when engaged will be focused on where you last had Manual focus clutch facus to not where the AF is at. Anyhow love you video.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks David, glad you enjoyed it :) Yeah, with the manual focus override I now see that I did just miss that setting in the menus - to be honest I think because it had the MF clutch, I simply didn't imagine there would be such a setting and didn't go looking for it...

[@davidblack2632]

@@GeoffCooper Just watched your video again. It is a great comparison video. Another note about the MF Clutch. When the MF Clutch is engaged it is focused to the last focus distance when MF Clutch was used. It comes in handy when you pre MF using the MF Clutch on a certain point. Then when using AF and suddenly a bird lands on the point you pre MF all you need to do is engaged the MF Clutch. To fine turn the AF you can go into the menu and set the focus to AF+MF. Other way to to assign an function button, like the Lens Function Button to MF. Then just press the function button and it will be at the AF distance.

[@GeoffCooper]

@@davidblack2632 Yeah I can see how that might ne useful (though I'm sure there is a AF point recall somewhere in the setup too)

[@stanleychalk5091]

I loved this video and it was very informative. What I would like to see is the comparison of the OM-1 with the 100 - 400 lens to a Nikon Z7ii with a close lens for birding and wildlife photography. ?? Does the OM-1 improve over the M1X?

[@GeoffCooper]

Glad you enjoyed it :) I’ve not played with the newer OM system stuff but I’m sure the OM-1 is far ahead of the E-M1x… If I was to set up a comparison today, I would like to put the Z8 with the new 600mm f/6.3 up against the OM-1.

[@richardbedford6166]

Great review, thank you. I use the Sony A1 and 600mm f4 as my bees-knees set-up of BIF and an OM-1 with 300mm f4 for lightweight walk-about BIF work. I bought the OM-1 purely for Pro Capture. Why are Sony so far behind on Pro Capture on their Alpha series cameras??? They have had an equivalent on their phones for years!!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Richard :) I have to agree if I could justify two systems, one would almost certainly be a lightweight m4/3 setup.. The pro-capture does seem like total magic and I really liked it. I now have something nearly like it on my Nikon Z9, but it only works in JPEG and not RAW. I suspect the sheer amount of data handling needed to do it with RAW and a high resolution full frame is massive, and maybe just beyond the capabilities of the cameras... I'm sure it's the future though, and maybe the fact that Sony /hasn't/ implemented an equivalent means that they're trying to develop it in full frame RAW..?

[@cecilthornhill4999]

Thanks for providing such a detailed review based on actual use in the field. You were both thorough and fair. I especially appreciated the noise reduction results tests. I also was gratified to see you compared kit of similar cost and weight. Both are real factors for most of us, since we have to get results with gear we can both afford and manage in the field. This sort of testing by an experienced wildlife photographer means so much more to many of us than other types of reviews. I feel you were spot on about the strengths and challenges of both systems. All the best to you and I look forward to your next videos!

[@cecilthornhill4999]

PS - I am using the Olympus EM-1 Mark ii now, and have been a long time Nikon user in the past as well. There are many great systems these days, but I have been very interested in the PF500 with the Z as a comparison, so this was an extra interesting video for me!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much Cecil - glad you found it interesting! I don't usually do this kind of testing, but I was really interested to see how the Z and 500PF measured up...

[@hedleywrightphotography]

Great comparison Geoff. I have the same kit as you tested (both systems) and although FF wins out for quality in poor light my EM1X and 300f4 are my go to system as I’m able to capture more wildlife moments because of its speed compared to the Z7. You did indeed miss some settings for Manual override of Autofocus, this can be done without moving the clutch on the lens to the manual position. In auto position it is focus by wire, in manual clutch position it is a true direct focus.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Hedley and thanks for clearing up the manual override thing - I guessed there must be a way to make it work as I would have wanted but couldn't see how. I would have expected full time override to be default but I guess the settings might even have been changed by the last person to borrow the loan kit, so maybe it is normally... I agree the fast FPS was the thing that I liked most about the Olympus - my Z6 is definitely faster than the Z7, but it's still not that fast!

[@vytautasslenderis2702]

Olympus camera also has the manual override. Exactly the same. That can be switched on or off in the menus.

[@GeoffCooper]

Yeah, I know it now - I was thrown off by the manual clutch and didn't think there would be a second way to override

[@vytautasslenderis2702]

@@GeoffCooper One suggestion: in your video, putting an onscreen note of that mistake would prevent watchers from being misled.

[@GeoffCooper]

@@vytautasslenderis2702 Yes, I totally agree and would have done this already, but there is no feature in KZbin to do this! There used to be a tool in the 'KZbin Studio' but it is no longer available...

[@jonnyfez]

Very much enjoyed watching your real world comparison. I’m mainly using a D850 and D500 with 300 f2.8 and 200-500 and am looking at various mirrorless options. One thing I’d ask you is how does the Nikon 300 f2.8 perform on the Z7 with the FTZ. Does the converter make noticeable impacts on focus speed/acquisition. I’ve heard some say it does and some say it doesn’t. As for the Olympus system I agree with your comments on pros and cons. It certainly has some benefits. At the end of the day though image quality is important and the full frame of the D850 (plus 46mp) outweigh a lot of things for me. The D850 even makes the D500 redundant unless you need the faster frame rate. So I’m still unsure about switching to mirrorless.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Jonnyfez :) I find the 300mm 2.8 works really well on the Z7 with the FTZ - since I purchased the 300 after I'd sold my D500, I'm afraid I have no experience of it on DSLRs as a comparison, but I can say that it's the fastest focussing lens I own and probably locks on better than any other F-mount lens I've had! I think from what I've read it will be slower on the Z7 than on a DSLR, but perhaps the advertised 'autofocus improvements' in the newer Z7 II will make that a good choice for your future switch to mirrorless ?

[@jonnyfez]

Geoff Cooper thanks Geoff

[@andyvan5692]

interesting review/ comparison, but, as of 2021 there is the 70-200mm f 2.8 S line lens (which can take 1.4 &2.0 x teleconvertors) and is a lot lighter than the F-mount lens you are comparing in this video, and with the 2x conv. it gives a 140-400mm focal length, close enough for now, at least until a "super tele" lens is made in the z mount!! like a 200-500 or equivalent.

[@GeoffCooper]

Hi Andy, yes there is, and ih I had one that would be a very interesting review to add - futhermore, the Z teleconverters are said to be practically 'lossless' in terms of image quality so it would make a very nice 140-400mm f/5.6...

[@ArnaudSiemons]

Loved the review. But what is it with you guys? Most of the images I see in these reviews when it comes to BIF suck..... Or is it KZbin degrading the photo's?

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks! In this case it’s probably a bit of both - reducing to 1080p on here definitely reduces the quality of images, and in this video I only wanted to include equivalent photos that I’d shot at the time, and frankly the only bird in flight ones I had from the testing weren’t the most exciting..

[@j30roth]

There are pro's and con's to all equipment. As you know I use the D500, mainly because it's what i can both afford and justify in term of buying equipment. We would all like the best equipment that money can buy and technology can provide, for my photography I'm very happy with my kit. As you know, photography is only half the story with me and the actual wildlife the other half. Nice video as always my friend, amanda and I wish you all the best for the changes to come 😉

[@GeoffCooper]

Aye that's true mate, and the D500 is a stunning camera. I would still have mine if it wasn't for wanting the video capabilities of the Z system. Also, as you say, getting out there and being in nature to get the shot is worth more than any difference in camera setup.. Thanks, it could be pretty soon now 😀

[@LuckyDutch2011]

I just bought my D500... after watching many videos and reading a lot about all the (newer) systems out there (and considering cost as well), the D500 seemed to be the only logical choice for me. I have the camera two days now and WOW..... even with my old 18-55 kit lens from my D40x I get amazing images. Video is not very important to me, so there is that as well ....

[@danielaargandonalowe9764]

Would you still recommend this Oly + 300mm pro lens, still today? After all the camera news that came out this year? Thank you for your imput!!!

[@GeoffCooper]

Yes, I think I would... As I said in the video, if you want the specific advantages of m43, this is a very competent system indeed, and rumour has it that OM Digital are going to release a new flagship camera early next year. The lenses are already spectacular, so even though other systems are seeing big steps forward, I don't think these are getting left behind in any way! Specific to Nikon, which is what I continue to use, the new Z9 will certainly eliminate some of the points where the Olympus pulled ahead of the Z7 in my tests... However, it's a lot bigger than the Z7, so the setup would no longer be small like the Olympus kit, and it doesn't have some of the neat features like Pro-Capture...

[@DalsPhotography]

@@GeoffCooper Thank you very much for your comment, what about the weight of the equipment? As I live in Uruguay the camera, OM x1 will arrive to me at around 2000 USD (used camera bought throug MPB) and I will buy the lens new. On the other hand, sometimes I need to crop in, due to the distances we have to be able to photograph birds... that's what scares me the most of the m43 system. I wouldn't like noise to be noticed so much lol, sorry for so many questions, but I am not able to try the camera down here :( Best wishes!

[@GeoffCooper]

@@DalsPhotography for the weight the m43 system is very low for the reach you get with telephoto glass.. But.. the E-M1x is the biggest and heaviest body. If you wanted to save weight and did not need a few really specific features, the E-M1 mkIII is probably a better choice... I can see the potential issue with noise, but the reach with the m43 is still better than most equivalent size / weight kit with larger sensors, and you can get Topaz DeNoise AI and that will sort out most noisy images. Also, if you have plenty of money and really want the reach, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 is apparently crazy good!

[@DalsPhotography]

@@GeoffCooper you are very kind to answer back!!!! I was looking for that wonderful lens (150-400) and in US there is nowhere to be found. Unfortunately if you bring something to Uruguay, customs are a reall killer (they murder us with taxes of over 100% of any product) so we bring things with some special "People" who have deals with customs operators for less money. On the other hand, and due to the lack of that lens, I think I will still wait a little bit before getting that camera. I loved the combination of the camera and lens, specially for the longer reach. I have a fuji xt4 paired with a Fuji xf 100-400, and even though it is a real beauty , I need the extra reach. Thank you again, and my best wishes for a great day!

[@joeylaura2]

Great comparison Geoff and very fair. One of the things that gives the smaller format an advantage at times, is the fact that you can shoot at a faster aperture, thus bringing the iso down for the same result....shutter speed and DOF. Of course this isn't always the case, for example shooting in low light. If I were starting out fresh I may take a hard look at the Nikon Z system, but more likely the Z5 for its price, I'm only an occasional wildlife shooter anyway. I am for the moment enjoying my Olympus set up. its amazing how close both set ups would be at normal viewing parameters, and dare I say equivalent aperture settings, looking at the whole image at once, rather than on the pixel level. thanks again.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Stephen :) Yeah, assuming that the larger depth of field is what you want, the m43 does make that easier, though often in wildlife the reverse is true and you want to blow out the background / foreground as much as possible... I agree the difference between them when you don't pixel peep is really small, and I was very impressed with the kit I got to borrow!

[@joeylaura2]

Thank you Geoff for the quick response. I suppose what I was suggesting was, for example. An Olympus 300mm set to f4 and camera at 400 iso, 1000 second for example, would be exactly the same as a Nikon Z series camera, with a 600 mm f4, camera set to 1600 iso, f8 and 1000 second. In that instance, the iso advantage of full frame is gone, and the DOF advantage (nailing the birds eye, beak or both) goes to the Olympus. Background bluff is still very shallow, at such an enormous focal length, and even if so, sometimes more visible detailed Bokeh can be a bonus, creating nice subtle patterns behind the subjects? A very talented birder, a good friend of mine who shoots with the Canon 6D says he quite often will set is aperture at f8-f16 while shooting birds with his 400 f4 DO, and 1.4X. Anyway just some thoughts on the subject, sorry to be long winded.

[@GeoffCooper]

@@joeylaura2 Ah, yes, I understand now - for birds in flight the extra depth of field would be really helpful to make sure the key parts are nice and sharp!

[@CrotZari]

Well rounded comparison. If your subject do not move about too much you can, as some stated before, use lower ISO and rely on Image Stabilization (IS) to help you out. If it is landscape shots you want, the inbuilt handheld high resolution mode will let you take 16 images in lightning speed and composite them into a 50 Mpixel RAW file for higher resolution and less noise. Quite a feat that. Using the High resolution mode with a tripod, it will make a composite resulting in a 80 Mpixel files. These are excellent features for landscape photos. I love the ergonomics of the camera and lenses! Another feature seldom mentioned is the ultrasonic wavefilter that fires off ultrasonic shockwaves from behind the sensor and pushes away dust. This is a feature I just take for granted now, having owned three different Bodies since the EM-5. I jumped on to the Fullframe bandwagon when I got a fantastic offer on a new Sony A7 III body. To my horror, my first set of images taken with it all had dust-splotches on them that I had to clone away. Through all the years with my Olympus gear, I have honestly never had even one dustspot in an image. Never. To summarise Olympus, it is a company that knows their cameras limitations and work with innovations to create features that overcome them. That is how I see it. You yourself found the ProCapture appealing. There is also a feature to emulate ND filters for long exposures. There is a live view Bulb-mode that let´s you see the night-time image appear on the screen as more and more light is captured by the sensor. When the exposure is good you can close the shutter. And so on. I sometimes wonder what Olympus could achieve if they had taken their EM1-mk 3 and scaled it up to full frame and improved the viewfinder, keeping all the great technologies from the M43 body. I think they would have had something like the Canon EOS R5.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Stefan. Yes, if the subject is still then I agree the ISO can be lowered (also on the full frame competition of course) and then the extra resolution of the high res mode is obviously available. I really didn't go into that as it doesn't really work for the kind of photography I tend to do.. I can imagine for landscape work it's an absolute dream! Regarding the ultrasonic sensor cleaner, I've had that on Nikon bodies for the last three cameras so have pretty much assumed that anything modern has it to be honest (I may be wrong).. The OM-D E-M1x is certainly an incredibly versatile camera and I was very impressed with it - I wish I'd had more time with it to learn it's features more fully!

[@jerryeisner1]

What does PF stand for on the Nikon lens you have? Geoff, what a wonderful comparison of the two cameras. You made the case for both cameras stunningly. What ever you may have missed doesn't matter so much, because what you have provided shows both the strengths and the weaknesses of both cameras and you clearly explain how the various points that you make may help or hurt the potential users of either camera. I just became a brand new subscriber based on all the hard work you do to bring really valuable content to all of us who really were interested in this information!!!!!!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much and welcome to the channel :) Glad you enjoyed the comparison - I love my setup and I was very impressed by the Olympus kit, so it was easy to make a case for both! The PF stands for Phase Fresnel (PF), which is a lens element where the normal curved surface is replaced by a series of concentric grooves (the place we're most familiar with this kind of lens is in lighthouses). The PF element in the Nikon 500mm f/5.6 allows the lens to be much smaller and lighter than it would be with a conventional lens element design.

[@jerryeisner1]

@@GeoffCooper that really explains it well!! My jaw dropped when I saw the price of that lens!! But just so you know, my jaw dropped even more when I saw how lifelike your images were with that lens!!!! Congrats on the new baby!! Take lots of pics-they grow up fast!!!!

[@recreationalplutonium]

crop factor also counts for light captured. so your m43 f4 is an equivalent of an f8 on full frame.

[@GeoffCooper]

Indeed, I'm pretty sure I even say so in this video at some point..

[@pankajnjoshi9673]

The best comparison video I have seen comparing the high end Olympus gear with another high end full frame camera. You have thoroughly discussed pros and cons so that one can make an informed decision. A big thank you from me. You have mentioned what you would expect from future Nikon upgrade but what should an Olympus user expect? Will there be a camera upgrade for Olympus, ever??

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much - very glad you found it useful! I have no idea what the future holds, other than that the new Nikon Z glass all seems to be pretty epic, so when they bring out a longer focal length that will be very exciting indeed... As for Olympus, I think they will be around for a while yet under JIP...

[@pankajnjoshi9673]

@@GeoffCooper Thank you very much. It is a tough decision for would be Olympus buyers right now.

[@darylremmler705]

Very nice to see a practical demonstration of the difference between modern FF and MFT. Really not a "significant" difference, yet both offer clear advantages. It bothers me when certain individuals (TN for one), share extremely one-sided views. Thanks for your efforts!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Daryl - glad you liked it! I totally agree, it's hard to find an impartial review these days!

[@_systemd]

if I got this right, then when comparing shots such as iso12800 on Nikon vs 6400 on olympus, one has to account for the real measured isos being closer to manufacturer's isos on nikon than on olympus. One can get this data from dxomark, but just very roughly speaking, you are basically comparing iso 9500 on nikon to iso 2700 on olympus. Overlooking this fact makes the olympus look close to 1stop better in any comparison.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks for your comment - not sure I agree with this though. Not got the Olympus camera to test with but I guess the would be better ways to test this based on actual results for a given lighting scenario... On another level, if a manufacturer's sensor performs differently to a standard (which the ISO gain should be), then that's not a good thing and they should be changing the indicated ISO in line with the standard... Otherwise what's the point of having one?!

[@mikkoritala8932]

Well done comparison, really good job! The difference in high ISO noise is actually much less than I would have thought. I have used Olympus for 8 years and have several times considered a full frame system for wildlife photography. But after seeing this, well, the benefits just don't seem all that great especially keeping in mind the price difference. I have the E-M1mk2 which is much more compact than E-M1x and I use the Panasonic 50-200mm f/2.8-f/4 on it. That is an amazingly compact lens, I can fit the camera and lens in the glove compartment of my Passat. I do like Nikon as a brand though, I do wish them success. Used to own and loved using the D700, and still keep using the FM2N occasionally.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Mikko :) Yeah, I was very impressed with the performance and the compactness too (at least I could imagine how it would be with a body smaller than the E-M1x)...

[@a.d.c.1056]

Excellent video Geoff, I have the EM 1X, 300mm f4 pro and 1.4 ext. I also have my d500 & 300 PF & extender. I use them side by side in the same bag and the wildlife subject tends to decide my choice of set up. 👍

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Tony :) Sound like you have a pretty sortred kit there - I totally agree if you can have two systems then having both and using them where appropriate gives the best of both worlds!

[@edwintam2349]

Excellent comparison! Very thorough. As someone who has shot college and national level sports extensively with the Nikon D3s, I would agree that the better comparison would be to compare the kits with a non-vertical grip body, like the Olympus EM1Mk3. Or conversely, go the other way and use a Nikon body with an attached grip or integrated grip as the comparison. If I think back to how my EM1X compares to my old D3s, it's no contest: the EM1X is far lighter and far more portable. In fact, it's gotten to the point where I don't go for additional grips. I find integrated grips to offer much more balance whereas attachable grips seem bulky and awkward in comparison. I think also that while the m4/3 system has some obvious disadvantages (like noise) because of its smaller sensor, its smaller sensor is what enables its advantages: I can take a very capable kit of body, zooms, and primes in a bag half the size and half the weight of what I do with Nikon (I still shoot my D850): the FX lens are still large and heavy in comparison. I've more or less decided that what I lose in upper ISO capability I will try to compensate for using software or other tricks... or just live with it. Most of the time, nobody cared if my sports images were noisy... they just wanted them in focus!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Edwin :) Your're quite right - the Olympus E-M1 iii would have been a better choice - the Nikon kit I used in the comparison was fixed as it's my everyday wildlife setup.. Rather than ask Olympus for the best they had, I should have asked for the closest equivalent :) I think the real point that came out here for me was that the Nikon wasn't that much better in IQ and really fell short on several points likw AF and VR, and in the end, it's only the fact that the 500mm PF lens is so tiny and light that makes these really comparable...

[@edwintam2349]

@@GeoffCooper Didn't realize the PF lens was so light! Great job again on the analysis... rare to see such thoughtful and thorough commentary! (I'm still keeping my eye on the Z-series!)

[@bourbakis]

Enjoy your review. Just a quick comment if others haven't mentioned it, for the Olympus camera/lens, you can fine tuning the focus with the focus ring without clutching it into the full manual mode. It'd be even more interesting if Olympus gives you the new 150-400m pro zoom to test.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much :) Yes, I've since been told that's a menu function - I guess I was thrown by the fact that the focus position isn't matched between the two ring positions more than anything... Hah, yeah, if I was doing this again now I would certainly love to try that out - looks like an amazing lens, though spectacularly expensive!

[@opariz1976]

Great job!!! I am an Olympus user) everything is honest and useful! Not everybody is doing honest reviews. Thank you very much!!!👏👏👏

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much Oles - I really appreciate this because I tired hard to make this as fair as possible with my limited knowledge of the system!

[@opariz1976]

@@GeoffCooper You pointed the main benefits of Olympus absolutely right. And of course I know the advantages of full frame. I would never mind using it for bird photography but I simply can not afford it😁 I bought used m.zuiko 300mm 4.0 twice as cheap and I am absolutely happy using it with em1 mark 2😁 Full frame lenses are too expensive for me. But of course they are better😁

[@TXTundra-ex8bw]

Very interesting video really appreciate your objective assessments I recently switched over to Olympus from Sony and Fujifilm because I fell in love the small M4/3 gears and the quality of the images. Much deserved sub 🤛

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much - glad you enjoyed it and welcome to the channel (it'll become more active again one day!)

[@sharingtheadventure]

Very nice thorough comparison. Spot on and well put together. Thank you.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Dale, glad you liked it :)

[@sinetwo]

Thanks as always for comparing. If I were to buy a new compact setup, i would probably lean towards OM-1, the procapture feature is just insane for action, and I've seen that their tracking is pretty damn good as well. The nikon equivalent is only available on the Z9, and even then it's JPG only, which is quite baffling, as I'm sure the Z9 has the buffer, memory and I/O to deal with RAW, at least at a lowered framerate. I hope Nikon make an improvement for their pre-release feature, and also include it in a lighter and smaller Z8.

[@GeoffCooper]

Glad you enjoyed it :) Yeah, if I was buying a compact system and didn't already have an investment in Nikon, the OM-1 would be very interesting for sure. Having said that, I know people who have gone that way from Nikon full frame and then have come back to the Z9, despite the extra bulk. For me, the ideal would be a smaller (non-grip) body with similar features to the Z9... The Nikon pre-capture is an odd one and I'm surprised they don't offer it with a compressed RAW output. It's a relatively new feature so perhaps that is something that will come with firmware...

[@noxious8]

Great video! One point i couldn't find in the comments: Max ISO on the Olympus is 25.600. I won't say it's as good as the Nikon. I locked mine to 6.400 to not get too high in Auto-ISO mode like your camera settings may were set. I just wanted to point out that it is possible. That's one of the cons of the 'big' menues. But it is also a pro that you can change a lot of things in the menues like the ISO settings and the focus settings like other people already wrote. You just need to invest some time - not you personally ;) it was great what you did in the short amount of time you had with the system!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks 😊 Yeah, I realised of course afterwards... it was strange to me that that default maximum ISO aim the auto mode wasn’t actually the maximum available...

[@SirMo]

Well done! A similar comparison like this has made me buy into the m4/3 system. And while you are sacrificing some image quality and resolution by going the smaller sensor for sure. I was still blown away by how usable the quality is that you do get (I owned a D600 and still do). I also enjoy the 4:3 format better, and some artistic noise is pleasing to me (since I like the look of film). A huge selection of native lenses on m4/3 is also quite nice. And usually the lower cost of high quality glass doesn't hurt either (I have a collection of about 20 lenses on m4/3, but I've been using the system for the past 8 or so years). Anyway just wanted to say, that even though you prefer Nikon for some good reasons, as a big fan of m4/3 I think you did a very good job comparing the two systems! Cheers!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much - glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@ster4181]

Really good and honest comparison, moreover you are nice and pleasant to listen to, subscribed!

[@ster4181]

Uh! At 14:18 I can hear your neck and back asking for mercy, while at 14:30 you impersonate comfort and peace and your fingers are like playing piano (perfect music matching), it gets the idea..(olympus groupie here ahaha)

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Misterio :) Welcome to the channel! Surely the back strain is at 14:40 - that 300mm weighs more than either the Olympus body + lens or the Z7 and 500mm ;)

[@ster4181]

@@GeoffCooper Ahaha! I am young outside but old and lazy inside, I skipped right to the lightweight equipment. See you Geoff!

[@BilloBob1231]

Thanks very much for your video!! I just dropped nikon after shooting with them for 15 plus years! The om system is just too good of a system to ignore

[@GeoffCooper]

Glad you found it useful and good luck with the new system!

[@nalim_e620]

Great video. Please test the Olympus OM System OM 1. Will there be a difference. 👍

[@GeoffCooper]

If I get the opportunity I surely will - I now have a lightweight native Z-mount 400mm as well so the comparison on lenses would be more fair..

[@sohailshaikh8938]

Saw ur video for the first time and it was really good 👍🏻 Please make more videos on MFT cameras and lenses.

[@GeoffCooper]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@torkelstenqvist1279]

I am a hobby photographer using the E-M1ii (with a grip). Interesting comparison, however I think it would have been good if you would have tried to contact an experienced Oly user, so your obvious mistakes about manual focus override and max iso wouldn't have been on the negative side. Further, some help to conquer the menu system is recommended. Question: Did you try the bird focus mode (only available in the E-M1x)? Why didn't you try a teleconverter too? Another point, for us amateurs the cost of the gear is also important. Today the Nikon 500 PF is $3600, the body is $2500 and the adapter $250 giving _$6350_ for the kit. The Oly kit is presently _$4750_, the lens $2750 and the body $2000. A 33 % advantage for Olympus.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks for your comments Torkel. I agree I didn't go into this with as much knowledge as I could have - part of that was that when I asked Olympus I imagined that if they even did send me the kit it would take a while and I could do some research, and instead they had it sent to me basically straight away and I was then in a bit of a flap to get it tested in the time I had available! Anyway, as I'm sure you've read in the other comments, I got this loan because of seeing other people review this same kit and I just thought it would be interesting to see how it compared to my own kit - I do agree the price difference is important, but not really the scope of my video. The 1.4x converter would have been interesting though and yeah, I should have thought to ask for that!

[@espenbjrkvold5119]

This was a very helpful and interesting video that I watched all the way through. Not often you do that with videos of this length. What I am taking from it though is that for me, normally shooting landscapes and composing before shooting, as mountains and lakes don’t seem to move that much as birds and wildlife. I would very likely not see any difference between M43 or my full-frame dslr for my type of use. Thanks for making this video.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks - glad you found it useful :) I think at the point where you have a static subject, there probably is very little difference in image quality between the latest generation M43 and FF, and then the M43 carries the massive size/weight advantage (as long as you /don't/ choose the E-M1x)!

[@herfriedromeil8519]

excellent Video, very interesting comparison, thank you a lot !!!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much Herfried, glad you liked it!

[@christophmuller3511]

Great comparisson, thanks! My takeaway is what an impressive lens the 500mm PF is, delivering a full frame image at a fairly comparable weight and size to the Olympus setup. Imagine how small a fresnel lens on m4/3 could be...

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks :) Yeah, the 500mm PF is a fantastic lens and was a total game-changer for my wildlife photography! I don't know if anyone has tried it, but there are adapters to mount Nikon f-mount to m4/3 wirh autofocus, so a 500mm PF on the OM-1 / E-M1x etc should certainly be possible... Might just not make sense compared to native glass.. and yes, a native PF on the Olympus line-up could be incredibly small for the given reach!

[@tonymorrison5023]

Both are great systems. tried both, prefer the 500 pf on d850 to the Olympus system any day however. ability to crop, sharper and more detailed images for post production or printing/client work. Olympus has better weather sealing and is lighter. Comes down to what is more important to you.

[@GeoffCooper]

Totally agree Tony, and I don't think I was ever really in danger of being persuaded to swap from the Nikon kit... I can't imagine the Olympus kit I had more than 100-150g lighter than the D850 + 500pf, but the weather sealing on the Olympus does look amazing and I'd be less worried about getting it soaked!

[@Lordvader330]

This was the best and fairest video I have seen. Nice job.

[@stefanmorgenstern7132]

Wow, what a great review! Extremely interesting, thank you very much for your excellent work!

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks - glad you liked it!

[@kristidubois8400]

Great review, and I was amazed at how well the Olympus held up against the Z7. I was a long-time Nikon user (crop sensor), and bought my first Olympus to replace a Nikon ultrazoom in 2014. I fell in love with the system and my Nikon D7200 languished. I now have an Olympus EM1.3 and the 300 f4 pro lens. Yet I never could get rid of my Nikon gear, and still wanted a full-frame camera for lower light situations. I finally bought a Z6 and a used 200-500mm lens that I use mostly from roads. With arthritis, the mirrorless cameras and in-body image stabilization make a huge difference for my ability to keep doing photography. You were spot-on with your review of the main differences between the systems. I find the Z6 images also hold up better under severe cropping than the Olympus images, even though the Z6 has a lower pixel count than the Z7 (which was out of my price range). I still use the Olympus gear for hiking. I wish Nikon would put pro-capture in the new Nikon cameras. The focus stacking feature also works much, much better on the Olympus. But they are both wonderful cameras, and as we all should know, the photographer running them is the most important element for getting great pictures.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Kristi, glad you liked the review :) I totally agree about the pro-capture and was a little sad that the new Z7 II doesn't have something like that in the specs...

[@gregm6894]

Well done Geoff! This was an even-handed and fair comparison -- not withstanding the few Olympus settings you were not aware of. In defense of the complex Olympus menus, Olympus has made their cameras so customizable that it necessitates a crazy, detailed and often confusing menu system. However, once you get the camera set up the way you like it, it all becomes second nature -- although I have to admit that every great once in a while I still get confused about accessing some rarely used feature. P.S. The amazing number of views and comments you have gotten are a testimony to the good job you did on this video.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks very much Greg :) Yeah, I have to admit my Nikon Z cameras aren't as customisable as I'd like, with several cases of features that can only be assigned to certain buttons! As you say, with any system, it takes some getting used to I'm sure.

[@julienmerelli2191]

Really nice video. Thank you. One of the things I hope Olympus Om digital will improve is the EVF and the screen. The EVF is really bad compared to the Nikon....

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Julien :) Yeah, I agree the EVF and screen were not at all as good - should be an easy win for them to fix in future iterations!

[@BobK58]

Nice review. Something you didn't talk about is cost. For an enthusiast an EM1.3 and the 300/f4 are much more affordable (I can't believe I'm saying the 300mm is affordable). Both systems are great and I don't think there is a wrong choice unless you have a specific requirement you need filled.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Bob, as you say there is no wrong choice and knowing your system well is often actually more valuable than any kit change! Regarding price, the whole point of this was to compare to my own kit, rather than look from a buyers point of view. I also wanted to complement the videos already out there comparing to full size full frame kit - wildly expensive compared to either setup discussed here, with a cost of around £10k to have a Nikon D5 and 600mm AF-S VR lens second hand, let alone new...

[@HigherJr]

Very cool comparison! thanks... maybe you might want to do a follow up video with the new olympus 150-400mm pro with the build in TC.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks :) Yeah, that'd be cool if they wanted to send me one to play with!!

[@paslinakula7576]

I used to have Nikon 500&300 PF then switched to Oly mainly because ergonomic and features that you mentioned. I think it should consider 1 stop diffrence for ISO comparasion between f5.6 VS f4 that why Oly has at least f4 for Pro lenes.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Pas, yes I agree that stop of difference should have been mentioned more / better - I thought of it after I recorded the video and added a caption, but it's not as good as actually saying it! The fact that after noise reduction the Nikon at ISO12800 is about equal to the Olympus at ISO6400, really means that they are about equal, though the greater resolution of the Z7 probably means it will still get a bit more detail in the end.

[@RichardHallas]

I enjoyed this video and was pleased by its basic fairness, coming from a non-Olympus shooter. I too have this system - E-M1X and 300 mm lens - and love it. It was taking birds with it only a week or so ago. It's so quick and accurate! Geoff: a couple of points/queries: 1. Although I acknowledge that an E-M1 Mark II or Mark III would be a better body for most people in terms of weight and ease of handling, I've always wanted a camera with an inbuilt portrait grip, so I'm a big fan of the E-M1X body. You say that you found its weight too 'back-heavy', even with the 300 mm lens (which is currently Olympus' largest and heaviest lens), which surprised me. It hadn't struck me as being any kind of problem at all, but then I'm not used to using an alternative system. However, my natural question is: isn't it actually *much better* to have a back-weighted camera like this? With a long lens, and possibly the need to sweep it around whilst holding as steady as possible to get birds in flight, athletes in action or whatever it may be… the heavier the *front* of the lens, the less control you're going to have. By the laws of physics, if there's a reasonable percentage of the weight at the camera end of the glass, your hands are going to be closer to the fulcrum point of the lever. Thus, if the camera is the heavy bit, you'll find it easier to exert control over fine movements and not have the lens run away with you when you're moving. As I say, this is a theoretical question as I'd don't have personal experience of using a long lens and a heavy body on another system. But it just seems to me to be a slightly strange criticism to have made, since by rights having the weight near to you, rather than further away down the lens, ought to be a big advantage rather than a drawback. 2. You also talk a lot about 20.6MP being insufficient, and about cropping. There are lots of arguments to be made here. I remember a time, in the early days of digital, when we seemed to be waiting ages for Olympus and other makers to finally get to a sensor size of 6MP (yes, just 6!), in that this was the resolution that it was felt at the time brought a comparable quality to film. (Whether that was a valid claim or not, I've really no idea.) But the idea of a 20MP sensor at that point would have seemed astronomic. Even Olympus' first top-of-the-range E-1 DSLR only had a 5MP sensor! I know that some sensors are now outrageously high-resolution, but I'd honestly think that a 20MP sensor is a reasonable sweet spot for most users, most of the time. I do understand why you want more, such as being able to crop. This is one of the reasons for having multiple bodies or systems, I suppose. But nevertheless, I think a 20MP sensor is more than adequate for the majority of situations for people without specialised needs. One also has to balance sensor resolution against output file size, and also computer processing demands. The bigger the megapixel rating the more room the files take to store and the slower they process on the computer, and whilst it may seem insignificant on a per-photo level, it soon adds up. If you only really need 20MP and you're shooting with a 40MP (or higher) sensor, then you're just wasting space and slowing yourself down. Anyway, I don't really want to have a big argument about megapixels (my comments above are just to put things in context). My question for you here was really: were you aware of the high-res shot modes offered on the E-M1X and E-M1 Mark III? You talk a lot about the restrictions of 20MP and don't refer to these at all, so I suspect you may have overlooked them. (And that's quite excusable, given the overwhelming range of features on these cameras.) The point is, though, that these latest Olympus bodies have a sensor-shift-based high-resolution shot mode that takes a series of shots while fractionally moving the sensor, and stitches them together into a composite. There are two major benefits: 1. much-increased resolution, and 2. greatly reduced noise (because the merging process has the happy side-effect of reducing noise at the same time). There's a hand-held hi-res mode that produces 50MP shots and a tripod hi-res mode (which you can still attempt hand-held if you want to try your luck!) that produces 80MP shots. Of course, your initial reaction would be: inappropriate for wildlife; and you'd basically be right. The potential is there for dreadful results if the subject moves while the multiple frames are being taken, and that's particularly likely with wildlife, so of course the hi-res shot modes are really intended for landscape photography and other static subjects. Using it routinely for wildlife would be completely stupid. Nevertheless, the multiple shots are actually taken *very* quickly indeed, so if your subject creature happens to be holding a momentary pose, there's every chance you could use this option to great effect. I mention it because, in situations where it's actually appropriate, it would overcome several of your reservations with this system.

[@GeoffCooper]

Hi Richard, thanks for commenting - I've tried to answer your questions below.. (also you might have just taken the record for the longest one comment here!) 1) Regarding the weight and balance, I think the general point, that back heavy is good, is valid, but only to a certain degree.. When I moved from my 200-500mm zoom to the 500mm PF lens, I found the reduction in front weight very helpful in keeping everything steady. However, once the kit gets really light, I think it feels better to have a bit of weight on the lens for feedback in tracking / panning. Probably it's a matter of what I'm used to using, and practice would eliminate the issue, but I ended up overshooting / overcompensating the movements with the Olympus kit because I didn't feel I had that feedback. 2) In terms of megapixels, I'm sorry if you got the impression that I thought the 20.6MP of the Olymous to be insufficient in terms of usage. That was not my intention at all, and indeed as you say, it is more than sufficient for a lot of things, as well as not having huge file sizes! What I meant to convey is that in this comparison, against my own Nikon kit, the fact that the Z7 has a lot more pixels was always going to put it at a big advantage. To make the test fairer I should have been using a Z6, but that's not what I have as my 'normal' wildlife setup, therefore not quite the question I was setting out to answer.. Also, the idea that the hand-held hi-res mode could be used for a static wildlife subject is an interesting one (and not one I'd considered)... If I had the kit again I would certainly give that a try, given the very high frame rates that are available! Generally I think two weeks was not enough time to really get to know the system, and there are a lot of other things I would have liked to have tried and could have learned to do differently. In the end the Olympus kit I tested was very impressive and if I didn't have the lighweight kit I do have, I can see how I could be tempted!

[@RichardHallas]

@@GeoffCooper Thanks very much for your helpful and interesting response! Regarding length - sorry, that's normal for me. I'm always being criticised for writing too much and going into too much detail, but I just like to think things through and be thorough, so I don't suppose I'll ever change! 1. Weight and balance: thanks for your thoughts. I agree that ultimately it's probably just a matter of getting used to the system you're using. My E-M1X is by far the biggest and heaviest camera I've ever owned (I'm only a hobbyist, and traditionally I've always liked good quality bridge cameras, of the sort that haven't really been made for a few years). This is my first mirrorless system, and I've never used a physically larger (or more expensive!) lens than my Olympus 300mm. So although I *very* much appreciate the portability and comparatively low cost of this Olympus lens, the fact is that, to me, it seems relatively heavy and unwieldy! That's not to say that I haven't had great fun using it, because I have… but the idea of trying to manhandle an equivalent full frame lens doesn't bear thinking about! So, I can completely relate to what you say, but at the same time I suspect you'd get used to (and then probably appreciate) the reduced weight if you used the Olympus kit over a longer period. And surely you'd be able to keep going for longer in your shooting sessions! 2. Megapixels: clearly I misinterpreted what you were saying about megapixels in the video. Given that I now know what you meant, I agree with your point. And clearly if you need a lot more megapixels, you don't buy an Olympus! I suspect that a 20.6MP sensor is approaching the best they can do with M43 technology without being further criticised for high noise levels. But I also think it's more than adequate for the needs of 90%+ of users - especially given the availability of the clever Hi-Res shot modes, which actually work extremely well in general. As noted, hi-res mode clearly has its limitations and will never suit action photography… BUT the camera is nevertheless impressively fast in taking the multiple shots, so it's quite feasible to capture reasonably fleeting moments with this feature, and some creatures do 'pose' long enough for it to be perfectly viable in wildlife photography given appropriate circumstances. So… thanks for your further thoughts. I'm glad you got a positive impression of the Olympus kit as a Nikon user. Personally I really love my Olympus gear, and I've been a big fan of Olympus for a long time. They've always both cared about quality and been such pioneers of new ideas. (And they've always been the best camera company to deal with that I've come across in terms of getting review kit etc. You acknowledged how impressed you were with their willingness to send you test equipment, but Olympus has always been like that in my experience - super-helpful - and I reviewed their first digital cameras back in the mid-1990s.) News of the sale to JIP seems tragic to me, and I hope it works out better than most people (myself included) fear it will. But I feel that Olympus has been very badly served in general by many commentators who have been unhealthily obsessed with perceived high noise levels, and have overplayed the perceived negatives of four-thirds sensor sizes whilst ignoring all the positives of Olympus systems. I fully acknowledge that there are times when you do need a bigger sensor… but for most people I think that Olympus hits the sweet spot in so many ways that the fact they're not massively more popular is frankly rather hard to understand. Anyway, enough waffle from me!

[@NikCan66]

Enjoyed the comparison with the Olympus MFT camera. Will you contact Nikon for when the next iteration of the Nikon Z mount cameras with another comparison on the aforementioned other Olympus camera body you mentioned as being maybe a better option to check the suitability of the MFT camera system. I mainly cover Action,sports work and used the olympus but found it at say night time sports events to not be as good at higher iso than my full frame Canon 1dx Mark iii and Nikon D5 cameras.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :) Interesting findings with the low light sports, but yeah, I guess it wasn't a surprise against the flagship FF cameras really! I probably won't do another comparison like this - it's not really what I do - unless there is a specific comparison with the kit I actually have and the test hasn't been done by someone else.. .

[@JmartiStudio]

Good afternoon, I just want to see if you can make me a recommendation for one of these 2 cameras, there is a difference of 300 dollars, it is worth paying the difference is the model 2013 is ok???

[@GeoffCooper]

Hi, it really depends on what you want to do! Personally I was impressed by the Olympus kit I borrowed but prefreerd my Nikon gear in the end. However, the latest OM-1 camera is a lot more advanced and at the same time there are now even more options for lightweight long lenses with Nikon mirrorless (e.g. Z8 and 600mm f/6.3)... If you're able to, I recommend going to a store or somewhere that you can have a hands-on test and then it my be easier to make your decision.

[@saler65]

thanks for the very interesting test. how would you describe the autofocus between the Nikon d500 and the Z6 / Z7 in comparison. Are the Z as fast and precise as the old ones? Thanks for an answer.

[@GeoffCooper]

Thanks Adrian :) I would say that the speed of the AF in the Z6 and Z7 with the latest firmware is now comparable with my D500, but the tracking accuracy is still not quite there... Having said that, I think it's important to realise that the Z-cameras need to be used slighty different;y and I have recently had good results with the wide area modes and also the subject lock-on / tracking...

[@ricr.4669]

sir explain if em1x AF is good compare to z5.

[@GeoffCooper]

I have not tried the Z5 but the E-M1x AF system was a lot better than the Z6/Z7 so I'm prepared tp assume that it is also better than the Z5

[@onthemove301]

I use Sony FF A7r3 with 200-600 5.6/6.3 or the Olympus EM1mk2 with 300mm f4 (fov equivalent to 600mm on FF). Sometimes I add the Olympus 1.4x converter giving 840mm equivalent fov at f5.6. Up to and including 1600 iso zero problems with noise, especially using Topaz denoise AI. I usually grab the Olympus kit because it's smaller and lighter than the Sony, and IQ is similar in most situations. The Sony has wider dynamic range and occasionally I expect it to be better depending on prevailing light conditions. It's also less noisy, if you want to pixel peep. I think your comparison would have been better with the Olympus EM1mk 3. It is smaller then the EM1x, has a stop less noise and 7.5 stops image stabilisation. Because of the stabilisation I don't need high iso numbers. But your conclusions are otherwise pretty solid in my experience, subject to them being supplemented by factors included in Steven Birds' comments to this video. You can buy the Sony kit for £4,029 at the time of writing, the Olympus EM1mk 3 and 300mm f4 for £3469 at the time of writing with Bank Holiday offers. Age 71, weight has become a bigger factor in my kit choice and Olympus manufacture some excellent quality and comparatively lightweight kit.

[@GeoffCooper]

Hi Tony, thanks for the interesting comparisions to the Sony kit. I recently picked up a firends Sony 200-600 and was very surprised by the weight - you'd definitely feel a big difference vs the Olympus gear!!